Thank you all - sorry for the pokey reply. We have been in the yard for a week, and you all know how that goes. Might as well fix "this that and the other thing" while we are at it.
I ordered a card off ebay - fingers crossed. Small investment.
We ordered most of an entire new electronics suite before receiving the boat - there is a worldwide shortage of chips, so it is backordered for an unknown period. That is why the solution I needed was temporary and I didn't want to put a lot of time or money into it.
I too do not love the "single use" aspect of a tablet, though as a redundant system I think they are great. My trusty iphone died of old age this week too, so I just got a big bad I phone 12. I plan on putting Navionics (or something) on it as a redundant system as soon as my hands stop hurting from all that boatwork! We have good reliable cell coverage in most of our cruising grounds so this is a pretty good backup for the PNW.
So... Hopefully the chip works and we are quickly functional until the new system arrives.
Again - thanks for all your help. Invaluable as usual!!!
Regarding the trip here? Not for the faint of heart. Covid made it much harder of course. It is really just a different kind of sweat equity I guess. There is a very real cost differential between the PNW and other spots in the nation. We bought a (bit of a) project boat and it was very well priced. (Yes I AM still convincing myself of that!) Getting it here added about 20% to the value. About half of that went to shipping cost. Given the scarcity of NT-32s in the PNW (We missed out on 4...) and the particularly good build quality, proximity to the builder and reputation of Nordic Tugs it seemed worth the risk. I figured, there will be something wrong with the boat that I am not expecting, but if the hull, topsides, interior and power plant are solid, that 10% (and more sweat equity) ought to help me recover from whatever the surprises may be. Too early to say definitively, but I think that is about where we are going to end up. Purchase price, plus shipping, plus a bunch of small gotchas and you end up with a pretty fair deal.
Each of these gotchas will result in a new system, part, whatever... that I have chosen, researched and installed.
So the good: We had excellent council from Corey Gracey our buyers broker / boat psychiatrist who knows these boats in and out. He has contacts everywhere, and he talked me off the ledge multiple times during this process. Among those contacts: We had an outstanding long haul trucker / philosopher; Roland Hanes who kept me entertained and distracted while he dealt with mobsters, mechanical and weather trouble, snakes, wreaks, detours permitting, invasive aquatic species inspections and stories from the road. I know he didn't tell me about every plague he encountered, we found part of a dehydrated bird on the portside... cue the horror music. What a brutal job!
I am getting to know every nook and cranny of this boat very well and very fast. I am going to have new electronics (if they ever ship), a new propane galley, new hydronic heat and on demand hot water, new solar system ready for batteries when these die (pleasantly surprised (so far) at youth and condition), probably new flooring next year, possibly a partial new paint job depending on how well it "buffs out" (looking good on this front), possible new custom mattress or V berth configuration and mattress depending on how the princess sleeps. etc. etc. etc.
The bad: I am still on budget but... the boat (and other factors) gets to decide WHEN the spend occurs. Obviously having been in the boatyard for the last week, I am bleeding $$$ freely from several open wounds. Words I would not like to hear for a while: any sentence that begins with "since you have her hauled, have you thought about:"
Ditto with timing, pacing, patiently working on the boat over a long period while you use it. My wife: "Honey, I am going to have 11 days straight off at the end of the month. Want to go up to the San Juan Islands in our beautiful new (to us) boat?" I am eyeballing the to-do list warily... Safety first of course, but second? If I get started at 4:00 AM do you think I can buff the entire topside in one day. (No, I forgot that I am old and weak... 10:00 am doughnut break, nap, lunch etc.).
The ugly: The boatyard in Rhode Island is run by small time gangsters. I kid you not. I am used to the PNW where the boatyard is expensive as hell, but they square up their shoulders, look you in the eye and tell you straight up, not the petty shakedown. They will be loudly and publicly flamed when I get the chance. I think the Rhode Island department of licensing may be as well... Not sure about that one though.
The selling broker was incredibly lame. Nice enough guy to talk to I guess. But completely worthless. If the seller had put an ad on craigslist they would have done better financially. He was completely missing when we need him to make a simple phone call, inserting himself into the transaction clumsily and jeopardizing the transaction at least twice... Not quite negligent, but lame as hell. Again, look me in the eye and tell me it is a small transaction, therefor a small commission and you are not going to do anymore work. I will take it from there, but get the hell out of the way. Favorite lame moment on a Thursday in early February: "Uh, no... it is superbowl weekend, I can't do a video walkthrough."
I am sure there is more, but I am off to the yard. Hopeful to splash today!
If you are thinking about doing this, let's talk. I think I would do it again, but I have learned some things that I can share with you so you trip on a different rock!
